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How many times can you or I praise something before it loses it’s shine, and it starts to feel transparent? Well when you give authentic love and energy to anything, I don’t think there can ever be enough praise.

The amazing decorations, displays, lights, tinsel, trees, and so much that I don’t remember it all was back. The great customer service was back. And most of all the event was helped to support the amazing organization, Anne Arundel County CASA.

I’ve mentioned CASA several times in the past in this blog, and it’s wonderful organization with wonder people behind this operation. I know feel like I’m part of the family and consider several people involved dear friends, as well as family. It’s a blessing to be a part of something so genuine and so loving.

And being a part of these most wonderful, organic, and fun loving events makes it all the more merrier. And it’s magnified during the month of December.

Let’s face it, our schedules are loaded and bloated with events that we either feel obligated to, torn about or may look forward too. Some might me too big for their own good, or might be thrown for the sake of it with no soul.

This event was loaded with soul. It was a great time with great people, and while the bar was busy, you never had to fight to get a drink or have yourself heard. CASA also had a guest bartender for a couple of hours that added another level of charm to the event. And yes this was an event on the calendar I was looking forward too.

And yes, being in Annapolis (here’s my Annapolis history that keeps on growing) just wraps it up in a pretty bow and screams Merry Christmas. It almost seems too good to be true, but it isn’t. Sometimes towns are that picturesque that it deserves as much as love from its locals and from visitors like myself.

Now onto the pizza. Last year, I did two pies and I had to go back and make sure I would’t accidentally make a repeat. So here goes.

First was the Eastern Shore. This is barbecue chicken, with red onions, mozzarella, and marinara sauce. I’ve had bbq chicken on pies that have been absolute disasters. It’s real easy to screw up if you’re not careful. That’s why when a place does it right, it deserves a lot of credit. And this was really good. I don’t know if this was my favorite bbq chicken but there’s a lot going for it.

A lot can go wrong when barbecue sauce, cheese, and the pizza sauce clash. And all of these principles can taste fine but may not mesh well when molded together. This was a great effort. But what really stands out is the crust and those onions. I could eat these red onions for days. And the way this pizza was heated was done perfectly. The pictures tell more than I can.

But the Gus is the pizza you want to get. Oh my goodness this was something. This may have been cooked better than the Eastern Shore. This was per our bartenders’, Bethany (whom we met last year at the same event), recommendation, and it never had a chance.

I mean it really never had a chance. I was lucky to have a slice. This is the one everyone was drawn to. The cheese and sauce complemented the trios of ham, sausage, and pepperoni to perfection. This was exquisite. I’m craving one right now. That only means…

I will be back. I promised that if I were afforded the opportunity and pleasure to come back to this same party one year later, that I would revisit some of their pizzas, and maybe their wine. To read more about the wine, click here.

A huge thanks to Bethany and Abby for helping with the pizza and wine suggestions.

This was great, this was a wonderful occasion with equally wonderful people, that represent a great organization that is Anne Arundel County CASA. And to partner up with the friendly folks at Red Red Wine Bar is a winning Christmas combination.

This is a different post than the usual. I’m going to get to the pizza right away, then focus on something of greater magnitude and importance.

This week brings me to the Federal Hill neighborhood of Baltimore. In the heart of everything are all the bars and restaurants on Cross Street. And within that is the highly popular, Social Pub & Pie.

I’ve patronized this establishment quite a few times over the past few years, but never actually got to try their pizza. It’s just how things work out I suppose. The everything happens for a reason, and how things will work out, also applies here. More on that after the reviews.

I had every intention of making two separate visits, which would mean two pies. I’m pretty good at math right? Well, fortunately for me, and a great gesture by Social, they do half and half pies. Which means I’m going to review for for you today. And this fact can’t be discounted. I’m grateful I got to expand my horizons a little bit.

And I broke down both visits by first doing a tomato based pies, and then the second would be the whites.

That looks pretty doesn’t it? I will say that the thin crust was a pleasant surprise. I was expecting something mega. But then when I figured out these were wood fired pies, I was looking forward to a lighter and flakier crust. And that’s exactly what we got. The Angelo was really good. With the latter having some fantastic sweet sausage that really makes this pie stand out. I was in the mood for a little something different and this fits the bill. The onions and peppers tasted fresh. The Margherita is exactly what you would expect. I wouldn’t say it was anything out of the ordinary, but it was solid.

I love the presentation and it makes for a great visual.

But the whites is where things really went to another level. For visit two, I went with the Spinach and the Onion Crumbled Bleu. The caramelized onions on both were tremendous. I have fondness for them in general and this did not disappoint. The veggies on the spinach were good, but it was the Onion Crumbled Bleu that really stood out. And I give all credit to the addition of Rosemary. Yes there’s bleu cheese crumbles and provolone, and while they add something, the rosemary takes this to another place that I didn’t know existed. If I’ve had rosemary on a pie before I don’t remember. Either that, or just this just blew everything out of the water. I can see where these cheeses, the olive oil, and that powerful rosemary taste can backfire. Not here. This was incredible.

If you could only get one pie here, I’d go with the Onion Crumbled Bleu. And that’s without me trying so many fun looking pies on the menu. Well I can always come back.

A small percentage is always amazing, but to go above and beyond like this speaks volumes of the management of Social Pub, but also speaks volumes of the people at CASA.

Me and many of our friends have been supporters of CASA, for a number of years, so we know how amazing organizers, the volunteers, the events, and most importantly, the cause is.

I like to think of myself as a friend of CASA. They even gave me a name tag with my name on it that read, ‘Friend of CASA’, on it, so it must be true.

But regardless, with all the events going on this weekend, this one I would highly suggest attending. This will be in the private room on the second floor, so you can enjoy a good time with your friends in a more intimate setting, while still getting excited for any football game you’ll either be attending or watching

A gathering of good friends while supporting a more-than-worthwhile cause is what life is all about. And I’m honored to be a supporter, and honored to be able to write about it here.

Birroteca is a favorite of many in Baltimore. I’m overstating the obvious. The location, that atmosphere, the vibration, the libations, and last but not the least, the food is highly regarded. It’s to the point that you might get sick of hearing about it. Yes, it’s one of those places. I love it. I couldn’t pretend to be different even if I wanted to.

With that teaser, unfortunately I won’t be writing about the city location. This is for us folks who live in the county and more specifically Bel Air. Don’t fret, a recap of the happenings on the city location will be forthcoming. But I want it to feel special and to feel appropriate. I’ll know the sign when it comes to me.

It was a dear friends birthday and they didn’t want to dine in haha. That’s understandable. The request was for something from the dinner menu, and of course that means a couple of pizzas for us to share as friends or pizza pals. We adore pizza.

The birthday bud wanted a margherita (plain cheese with tomatoes). Second pie would be the bianco, with four cheeses, candied walnut sage, and pine cone syrup. Mamma Mia!

A special birthday feast also means a couple of appetizers, so we couldn’t decide between Arancini and meatballs, so we went with both. That’s how you solve a problem.

Our carry-out order was effortless and the pick-up was just the same. No issues. That was my first time setting foot in this Birro. It’s so much more cozier and quaint versus the one in the city. This is not to say one is better than the other. The Baltimore location intimidated me the first time. It’s colossal.

We first had the apps. Make sense in sequence right? Our meatballs were good. The mess in the photo is entirely my fault.

And the arancini I could eat a plate of. That was one of the highlights. One just isn’t enough. Please can I have more. You could have that as a meal all by its lonesome.

The margherita was really good and the very thin crust of theirs I’ve always been a huge fan of. For even the folks who don’t like lots of bread, this works flawlessly. The sauce and cheese worked perfectly in concert with one another.

But the bianco was something else. The pine cone syrup I was able to taste right away. Incredible. And walnuts on a pie is a sure-finer winner. You’ve got to be see and eat to believe. First time for me and I want a next time.

Both pies look gorgeous a well. These are eye-candy to the highest power.

The pies have endeared themselves to me even more over time and it’s been less than a week since our feast of friendship. As a write this I’ve even more giddy with excitement. It feels good and I look forward to visits back to Bel Air and Baltimore in short order.